This Sunny West Coast State Has Lost More Troops In Afghanistan Than Any Other

Since Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan began in
October of 2001, the United States has sustained more than 15,858
overall casualties (war injuries) and 1,526 killed-in-action
fatalities, according to Pentagon records.

Hostile firefights, IEDs, suicide bombs, green-on-blue violence
(Afghan forces turning on their Western allies), insurgent rocket
attacks, and regrettable accidents are among the life-threatening
risks that service members face. There is also one U.S.
soldier, Pfc.
Bowe R. Bergdahl of Idaho, who was captured in June 2009 is
believed to be held as a prisoner of war. His whereabouts are
unknown.

Below are two maps by the organization iCasualties focusing
on U.S. troop sacrifices.

State-by-state casualties are shown in the first, indicating the
number of U.S. troops coming home with war injuries —
including amputations, disfigurement, traumatic brain
injuries, bullet wounds, and the unimaginable.

The second map illustrates American deaths in Afghanistan since
2001. The state-by-state numbers speak for themselves.

The National
Priorities Project's most recent findings on military
recruitment shows the average number of U.S. recruits per 1,000
youth aged 18-24 is 2.28 — a calculation of recruitment
rate. It seems a small number, yet those volunteers are
signed up to defend the entire country when called. The NPP
points out:

The number of recruits from a given location is useful
information, but it does not give a complete picture of
recruitment. For example, in FY2010, Maine and Nebraska
contributed almost the same number of recruits (411 and 437
respectively). However, Maine's much smaller population means
they contributed a larger percentage of their youth to the
military, and this is reflected in the recruitment rate of
each state.

Maine leads the FPP's country-wide rankings with an above-average
recruitment rate of 3.59 (based on latest FY2010 data). Texas
ranks 12th with a rate of 2.81. And the big state of California
ranks 35th with a rate of 1.92 — but with its enormous
population, it is also the state which has suffered the most
casualties and fatalities.